Fatherly Ruminations
by Jinnie
Summary: Jack watches Vaughn sleep. Missing scene from Counteragent. No slash. Complete. Review responses added 629.
1. Fatherly Ruminations, Part 1

- **Title**: Fatherly Ruminations  
- **Author**: A. Jinnie McManus   
- **Email**: jinnie@sbjdesigns.com   
- **Rating**: G   
– **Archiving**: Ask first.   
- **Spoilers/Timeline**: Missing scene for Counteragent. Spoilers for that and Salvation.   
- **Summary**: Jack watches Vaughn sleep. Missing scene from Counteragent. No slash.   
- **Disclaimer**: Not mine. Some quotes are directly from The Counteragent. No infringement is intended.   
- **'Ship**: S/V 

**FATHERLY RUMINATIONS**

He is, of course, sleeping when I enter. 

For a moment, I pause by the door and simply stare. Asleep, Michael Vaughn looks ridiculously innocent, far too young to be immersed in this complex mess. _Just like Sydney._

Sydney. 

Forcing myself to walk with slow, measured steps, I head for the chair beside his bed. He doesn't stir. For a long time, I simply sit there and watch him. 

This boy, (this _man_), means more to my daughter than I do. 

He moves slightly, murmuring to himself before relaxing once more. It seems I'm not the only one thinking about my little girl. 

I lean forward in the chair, studying him more closely. What is it about this man? 

I will not claim to know all the details of my daughter's life. But what I do know, what everyone that meets her knows, is that she is independent. Fiercely so. 

What is it about this man that causes her to willingly abandon that trait? To be open to sacrificing her own life, her own morals, if that means saving his? 

He stirs again, his eyes flying open. Automatically, I sit back and just watch the transformation. 

I watch as his innocence vanishes behind a mask and is replaced by the hardened Agent he has become. Whatever doubts I have about his abilities vanish as I watch him. _Analyze, observe, scrutinize…._ the same mental training I endured, he goes through in a matter of seconds. 

_You would be proud of him, William. _

Only after he has determined that all is safe do his eyes meet mine, his confusion apparent. I hide an uncharacteristic smile. As polite as my daughter's handler may be, he can't hide the fact that he wanted to see another Bristow waiting for him to wake up. 

"What's happening?" he asks slowly. 

"You've been asleep for forty hours," I inform him. 

"Am I dying?" 

"Almost. Sydney got the antidote. Doctors say your blood level is looking good." 

I watch as emotions parade past his eyes, the only part of his body not under control. And I begin to understand the forbidden attraction between the young agent and my little girl. 

She has eyes like that, too. Eyes that have seen more horrors than I ever will, and yet stubbornly retain a naive belief that in the end, all will be well. The good guys will always win. 

"How did she do it?" 

"She had Sloane killed." 

His eyes widen slightly, but he says nothing. My respect for him grows. What could he say? 

I rise, heading for the door. "I'll tell Sydney you're awake." 

He nods. "Jack?" 

I turn back. He's watching me now, the combination of veteran agent and wide-eyed child that he is reminding me so much of my daughter that I can't meet his gaze. 

"Thanks," he says simply. 

Wordlessly, I leave the room. He is already struggling to rise and reaching for his clothes as I do so, clearly determined to not allow Sydney to see him that weak again. Every time I see him, he earns more of my respect. 

Maybe someday, I will be able to tell him that. 


	2. Reviewer Responses

**Reviewer Responses **

This was my very first fic without real people, and I can't tell you how grateful I am that the following people took the time to drop me a yell: 

Star: Thank you very much! That 30 second scene has always fascinated me, because it really isn't like Mr. Cold Guy to wait for Vaughn to wake up. 

Jen: I've always wondered what was going through his head in that scene. One of the reasons why I love Jack is that he's very guarded when it comes to emotion, meaning he's really open to interpretation. 

Andy: Well, since Vaughn is fast asleep during most of this fic (awwww), one from his perspective wouldn't really work. However, I try getting into his head in the sequel, if you're interested! lol 

No name: Thanks for the compliments! I'm 19 years old, so I have no idea why this fic demanded to be written from the perspective of a guy I see as "old". But I'm glad it seemed to work for y'all! 

Sintheeah: Thanks for the review, then! I'm honored you left one. 

Twin*muse: I have so many ideas swirling around in my head, so check in on my profile every so often! lol 

Joanna: Hey there, Teach! I've already told ya, too much research! See, in the Alias world, I can look at Michael Vartan pics all day long and call that research, but alas, Orlando Bloom isn't in enough scenes to make that work. (I think that sounds plausible, anyway!) ;) 

The story continues both directly and indirectly in _Surmising Alliances_. The link is in my profile! 

Thanks for dropping by! 

Jinnie 


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